An American Sophomore in Cairo

The Beijing summit did not produce a major agreement between the great powers on the region, but it firmly established that Middle Eastern crises are now deeply tied to the great-power dialogue.

Washington, however, is not merely a policymaking capital. It is also a highly competitive marketplace of narratives.

A negotiated deal remains possible. Both sides will have to make compromises but that route must be explored extensively.

A significant segment of the American political elite engages with Israel not through rational calculus but through eschatological conviction.